The first Part of the book deals with only that part of the basic anatomy and physiology, which is important in understanding the mechanism of yoga practices. This time a special note, in the form of tips ‘from yoga point of view’, has been added so as to understand various concepts and aphorisms of yoga clearly.
The second part of the book describes the traditional technique of asanas, pranayamas, bandhas, mudras, kriyas (cleansing practices), their possible mechanism. This book would help the reader:
1. To learn the basic structure and various functions of the body.
2. To understand the yogic concepts, the correct technique and the mechanism of the yogic practices as well as their physiological effects on the human body.
3. To know whether we can modify the techniques of these yoga practices with the help of the scientific information about them for better application.
4. To understand the principles of yogic therapy, its application, contra-indication and limitations.
5. To know the scientific aspect of the Aum chanting.
Dr. Makarand Madhukar Gore received his initial education in Yoga from his Guru Swami Janardan of Nagpur. After completing his post-graduation, he acquired education in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy. Since 1975 he worked for last 34 years in the field of research in Yoga, at Kaivalyadhama, Lonavla. He has taught this subject at G.S. College of Yoga, Kaivalyadhama, for 10 years.
Keep the mind and body in perfect condition, these are the requisites to achieve the desired goals. More than two thousand years ago Patanjali, who is considered the father of yoga, compiled 195 Sutras which still serve as guidelines for using yoga in daily life to attain health and gain freedom from diseases. Yoga also helps to achieve spiritual, mental and physical health and is the main reason why it has now become an international phenomenon. American cardiologist Dean Ornish, for example, who is the discoverer of the reversibility of atherosclerosis has proved that even severely blocked arteries can be opened without surgery with regular meditation, yoga, diet and aerobic exercises.
The fact is, today’s competitive world with people striving for material success is producing enormous levels of anxiety and stress leading to hypertension, cardiovascular problems and diabetes which, in turn, increases anxiety and stress even more, forming a vicious circle. Typically, we try to tackle this problem with just medicines without taking its root causes into consideration. Yoga, on the other hand, acts both on physiological and psychic levels bringing physical and mental equilibrium, thus calming both mind and body. It is now almost universally accepted that regular practice of yoga has long lasting therapeutic value and prevents such conditions.
Critical, however, to the basis of understanding yoga is possessing sound knowledge of anatomy (structure) and physiology (function) of the human body which then promotes an understanding of the philosophy of yoga as an established and scientific way to achieve health. The human body is a very complex configuration of muscles, bones, nerves, vessels and other organs and a clear knowledge of these can further help us to identify health problems and diseases. Most importantly, anatomy and physiology explains that all systems of the body function together to work as a cohesive, holistic and healthy unit.
The Anatomy and Physiology of Yogic Practices is a very well written book for students of Yoga as well as those studying alternative medicine because it is penned in a clear and lucid language so that the average person can also learn about the structure of the human body in relation to yogic practices. Moreover, it is to the point and does not describe unnecessary details of body function and organisation which may not be required by a student of yoga. Yet, in spite of this, the author has explained certain aspects of physiology in detail such as respiratory physiology that is relevant to pranayama along with physiology of the nervous system in relation to asanas.
The Anatomy and Physiology of Yogic Practices also deals with using yoga as therapy. The techniques of various yogic practices are described in detail to enable the reader to easily learn these procedures - especially pranayam.
I am impressed by Dr Makarand Madhukar Gore who has been a teacher of yoga for 10 years, due to his books’ contents and the way it is expounded. I recommend his book to students of alternative medicine and yoga and also to the general public as regular practice of yoga calms and quietens the mind and body which is a much needed quality in today’s world.
I also feel privileged to write the Foreword for this book which is sure to help yoga students since not many books have been written on this particular aspect of the topic and students and learners of yoga must be feeling the vacuum. In fact I see this book becoming part of a curriculum in various institutes that inculcate yogic practices.
I am very happy to present the fourth edition of this book, which is revised thoroughly in every sense. All the editions were very much appreciated by the readers through their letters and personal communication. Additional chapters on Sitkari, Shitali, Bhastrika and Suryabhedan pranayama, based on the recent scientific research, special chapter on the science of Aum and the complete modification of the whole text are the main features of this edition. The book is also available in Italian, German, Hindi and Marathi. The book is a National Award winner. Hon. President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a great scientist, has appreciated the book in his letter (November 23, 2003) addressed to me. He liked the chapter on deep breathing and pranayama the most. I thank him for his appreciation.
I express my gratitude to Dr. M.L. Gharote, ex-principal, G.S. College of Yoga and Cultural Synthesis, who guided and encouraged me to write the book. I am deeply indebted to my institution, Kaivalyadhama, which has been the main source of my knowledge and understanding of yoga. I sincerely thank Dr. Dhananjay Gunde (orthopaedic surgeon), a renowned yoga therapist, for writing the foreword for the second edition.
The blessings of my mother Dr. Vimla Gore are always with me. I thank my wife Bharati for publishing the third edition of this book. I am sure, the readers would welcome this edition too.
Yoga is a traditional and cultural science of India. Apart from yoga, India has contributed other sciences like Sanskrit grammar mathematics, kamashashtra, and ayurveda to the humankind. Ayurveda includes yoga as a part of an ideal lifestyle arid maintenance of health (swastha vritta). Lord Shrikrishna has explained various faculties of yoga in Bhagwad Geeta. Yoga is further explored in the great treatise, Dnyaneshwari written by Saint Dnyaneshwar. Yoga literally means ‘union’ or ‘to join’, i.e., union with the divine consciousness. Hatha yoga, ashtang yoga, bhakti yoga, mantra yoga, dnyan yoga, karma yoga, raj yoga appear like different types of yoga due to their different methods and techniques but the main objective of all of them is liberation, salvation or to attain samadhi, the highest state of chitta (consciousness) by controlling its vrittis (tendencies, desires) arising in it, out of attachment with the materialistic world, so as to merge into the divine principle (absolute consciousness). Yoga is one of the six great philosophies of India. It is an experiential science.
Yoga and Lifestyle
Yoga is a part of the Indian lifestyle. Real comfort lies in good health. Disease-free condition and contentment at the level of mind are essential components of happiness. Those who practise yoga as daily ritual would experience great deal of peace of mind and joy. Such people always think in positive way and lead a very happy life. Yoga has got the potential to bring prosperity and happiness to anybody from any profession. Since yoga brings about suitable changes in the behavioral pattern and the attitude of a person, the personal relationship at home and in the society are also improved. This is the reason why western countries are now following Indian lifestyle which includes yoga. They have understood that yoga is a ‘means’ to manage stress and to lead a healthy and happy life.
Yoga as a Therapy
‘Stress’ is an outcome of the modem lifestyle. It is produced out of dissatisfaction, frustration and dejection when there is negative interaction between the self-projection and the adverse internal as well as the external environmental conditions. At present, the human existence is challenged by the stress disorders or the psychosomatic diseases such as hypertension, hyperacidity, insomnia, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma, etc. Although the system of yoga is not developed for the purpose of treatment, it has been observed through the applied research that the regular practice of yoga not only controls these diseases but also promotes and maintains the healthy condition of body and mind and prevents the disease process. Yoga is not an alternative to any conventional therapy but it definitely supports the healing process. Today, the popularity of yoga is mostly because of its therapeutic value. Yoga has a potential to tranquilize and balance the mind, which is the key in the management of stress disorders.
Hatha Yoga
Kriyas, asanas, pranayamas, bandha, mudra, and nadanusandhan are to be practiced in this sequence. All these practices are from hatha yoga. Hathapradipika, Gherand Samhita, Vshishtha Samhita, Hatharatnavali are important ancient hat ha yogic texts. Practice of hat ha yoga promotes health and prepares an individual for spiritual aspects of yoga like awakening of the kundalini, dhyan and samadhi. It works on two principles, i.e., Ha (Sun) and Tha (Moon) and brings about the balance in between the two. Hatha yoga is aware of the fact that, Meaning: without the practice of hatha yoga, the practice of Raj yoga will not be successful and without raj yoga no perfection is attained in hatha yoga. Hence one should practice both simultaneously.
Ashtang Yoga
Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahar, dharana, dhyan and samadhi are eight parts of ashtang yoga of Yogi Patanjali. He describes the whole yoga in total 195 aphorisms, divided into four parts. He defines yoga as chittavritti nirodhah and then writes remaining aphorisms to explain how to achieve it. He considers yoga as a discipline. Unless yoga is practiced regularly, sincerely and in a most disciplined manner, one can not reap its benefits. First four steps are known as bahirang yoga (external part of yoga) and the rest four steps form the antarang yoga (internal part of yoga) or the raj yoga. Patanjali does not mention the names of asanas or pranayamas but elucidates the fathoms of the human psychology and recommends prophylactic measures to promote and maintain the physical and mental health.
Ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (abstinence), and aparigrah (non-possessiveness) are five yamas or the vows of self-restraint (the don’ts) that are meant for one’s virtuous attitude towards the society. Purification of self is necessary before proceeding to yoga practices or simultaneously, to reap the full benefits of yoga. Such purification is achieved by observing these rules (commandments) of Patanjali. This would improve values and provide the moral foundation for the yogasadhana.
Shauch (purity, cleanliness), santosh (contentment), tapa (austerity), swadhyay (self-study) and Ishwar pranidhana (surrender to God) are the five niyamas (observances) of the yogic discipline that lay the foundation of the yogic attitude. The sincere observance of these ten vows (mahavratas) would help us to progress faster on the spiritual path since they increase the purity of our mind.
Who Should Practice Yoga?
Hatha yoga says that all young, old or too old, patients, weak persons can learn and practice yoga. That means anybody can practice yoga after the age of seven. There is no restriction of caste, creed, religion, cult or country. It is open for all. The only rule is that it should be practiced daily as a routine and be a part of your lifestyle. The basic lessons in yoga should be learnt, in the beginning, from an expert yoga teacher. Remember, yoga teacher, yoga therapist and a yoga instructor are three different persons.
Time, Place and Direction
The best time to practice yoga is at sunrise. The practice after bathing yields better results as the circulation of the body increases after bath. While practicing one should preferably face the east and the place should have good ventilation. It should be free from mosquitoes and foul odors. The atmospheric conditions should be suitable. Too cold or warm weather should be avoided.
The sadhak should practice yoga in a relaxed manner, with deep faith (shraddha) and devotion (bhakti). He should pay attention to different sensations arising during the practice and analyze them on the basis of the scientific information provided in this book. It will help him to progress on the spiritual path.
Scientific Research on Yoga
The scientific nature of yoga was first revealed when Swami Kuvalayananda conducted most fundamental scientific experiments in yoga in 1924. He established Kaivalyadhama Institute for scientific research on yoga. These research findings removed various misconceptions about yoga and the mystical sheath lying over it in those days. He and Dr. S.L.Vinekar then described the principles of yoga therapy in terms of anatomy and physiology. Based on this, the subject ‘anatomy and physiology of yogic practices’ was further developed by Dr. M.V. Bhole. The subject of anatomy and physiology of yogic practices is a mandatory subject for diploma courses in yoga in all the yoga institutions. It helps to understand the mechanism of yogic practices and their appropriate application for the patient or a spiritual aspirant or the normal individual. However, there was no book available on it till 1984.
The first part of the book deals with only that part of the basic anatomy and physiology, which is important in understanding the mechanism of yoga practices. This time a special note, in the form of tips ‘from yoga point of view’, has been added so as to understand various concepts and aphorisms of yoga clearly.
The second part of the book describes the traditional technique of asanas, pranayamas, bandhas, mudras, kriyas (cleansing practices), their possible mechanism, effects and the research findings about these yogic practices so that the insight as well as the interest of a student would increase.
This book would help the reader:
3. To know whether we can modify the techniques of these yoga practices with the help of the scientific information about them, for better application.
This book includes information about all systems of the human body, their structural and functional aspects. Along with that, explained here are the scientific mechanisms and effects of yogic practices on all body systems.
Thus, compiled here is a wholistic guide to all Yoga followers. It will help develop a "scientific vision" in everyone, as was the intense urge of Swami Kuvalayananda.
'Sri Swami Samartha.'
Yoga followers have been increasing day by day. Many schools of yoga have been conducting "Yoga teacher training course", "Basic yoga foundation course" "Yoga certificate course" etc., in which they impart enough theoretical and practical knowledge to the students. Some are very much short term courses which raise the question whether the students get enough fundamental knowledge or not.
The basic theoretical knowledge can be divided into two groups-one is about the material of traditional texts and second is the interpretation of that material through scientific way. At gross level, the parameters of anatomy and physiology help to interpret scientifically. At subtle level, parameters of psychology and metaphysics help to interpret scientifically.
In this book, the parameters of anatomy and physiology are explained through easy way as much as possible. Both subjects have their own terminologies. So it is needed to understand the basic and very common words and concepts of both.
The description of anatomy and physiology is made easier by understanding it in the form of different systems. Inside the body, all these are interconnected and overlapped in each other. All influence each other. But for the purpose of understanding, first we should try to learn each system separately. Then we should learn how that system is related to other systems. Finally we should learn how the yoga influences all these systems.
Thus, the basic and applied knowledge of body systems in relation with yoga will definitely help to improve the scientific understanding of yoga for all yoga followers, teachers and experts also. They will learn how to choose suitable practices for themselves or for their students. Also the false claims, overuse, misuse of the practices will be avoided.
Now a days, many yoga courses have included basic and applied anatomy and physiology. This book is intended to help in learning all these courses. Through this book, the author aspires to make scientific base of Yoga teachers as firm as possible.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
Anatomy of Hatha Yoga is the first modern authoritative source that integrates the study of hatha yoga with anatomy and physiology. Yoga teachers, committed practitioners, medical professionals, or anyone who is curious about how the body responds to yoga will find this book an unsurpassed wealth of knowledge. It was written to meet the needs of a general audience while seeking to attract and challenge the interests of medical professionals.
In this groundbreaking work, Dr. H. David Coulter shares the fruits of decades of academic research and personal experience gained through practice and study with Sri Swami Rama and other faculty of the Himalayan Institute. Dr. Coulter offers an objective analysis of the deeper aspects of hatha yoga, discussing its effect on the major systems of the body.
Providing a comprehensive overview of the anatomy and physiology of hatha yoga with special emphasis on the musculoskeletal, nervous, and cardiovascular systems, this book bridges biomedicine and complementary medicine. Featuring over 230 photographs and 120 diagrams and anatomical illustrations, hundreds of yoga asanas are covered in detail. This classic work is an invaluable resource for any serious yoga practitioner or medical professional.
Dr. H. David Coulter received a PhD in anatomy from the University of Tennessee and has been a faculty member of several prestigious institutions in the United States, including University of Minnesota Medical School, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York), and the Himalayan International Institute. Dr. Coulter has been practicing yoga since 1974 and is a student of Sri Swami Rama and Pandit Rajmani Tigunait.
Hatha yoga. Its teachers and serious students are convinced of its power to build strength and confidence, to improve flexibility and balance, and to foster spiritual peace and contentment. And beyond its attributes as preventive medicine, many of us also believe in the power of yoga to heal, to aid in recovering from everything from low back strain to carpal tunnel syndrome and to help cope with chronic problems like arthritis, multiple sclerosis and infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
But despite the recent boom in yoga’s popularity, most scientists and physicians have been slow to embrace this discipline. To many of them perhaps, it seems like a mystical pursuit, a quasi-religion with little basis in the modern world of science. In a medical profession now itself dominated by a near religious reverence for the randomized, controlled study, knowledge acquired through thousands of years of direct observation, introspection, and trial and error may seem quaint.
But as the West has slowly opened in the past decades to Eastern, experientially based fields like acupuncture-as part of a greater acceptance of alternative medicine in general-yoga has begun to stake its claim. Concepts like prana or chi, however, are not warmly received by skeptical scientists. To win them over you need to provide the kind of evidence they buy. Studies. Preferably published in peer-review journals. And you need to propose mechanisms of action that conform with science as they understand it.
A significant breakthrough was provided by Dr. Dean Ornish, a California-based cardiologist who interrupted his college years to study with Sri Swami Satchidananda. His work, published in 1990 in the prestigious British medical journal the Lancet, showed that a program that combines hatha yoga with dietary changes, exercise, and group therapy can actually reverse blockages in the heart’s main arteries-which doctors used to think wasn’t possible.
In 1998, research led by Marian Garfinkel of the Medical College of Pennsylvania and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that Iyengar yoga could effectively reduce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, a malady of near epidemic proportions in this computer age. Of note, Garfinkel’s study lasted only eight weeks, and yet the intervention proved efficacious. Serious yoga practitioners realize of course that although some benefit may be noticed after even a single class, yoga’s most profound effects accrue over years-even decades-not weeks. Yoga is indeed powerful medicine but it is slow medicine.
More studies will be needed to convince the medical establishment, but that research could also be slow in coming. Funding is a perennial problem. Unlike the situation with, say, pharmaceuticals, there is no private industry to bankroll the scientific investigation of hatha yoga. Given the incredible cost of long-range studies-which are more likely to demonstrate effectiveness-I suspect that we’re unlikely to see any time soon the kind of overwhelming proof that skeptical scientists want. This presents a philosophical question: When you have an intervention which appears safe and effective-and when its side effects are almost entirely positive-should one wait for proof before trying it? This value judgment lies at the heart of the recent debate over many traditional healing methods.
Ironically, though, even within the world of alternative medicine yoga seems under-appreciated. Two years ago, I attended a four-day conference on alter- native medicine sponsored by Harvard Medical School. A wide range of topics from herbs to prayer to homeopathy were covered in detail. Yet in the dozens of presentations I attended, yoga was mentioned just once: In a slide that accompanied the lecture on cardiovascular disease, yoga was one of several modalities listed under "Other Stress Reduction Techniques." Yoga is certainly a stress reduction device but to reduce it to just that misses so much.
Given the situation, how welcome then is David Coulter’s Anatomy of Hatha Yoga. David combines the perspectives of a dedicated yogi with that of a former anatomy professor and research associate at two major American medical schools. He has set himself the ambitious goal of combining the modern scientific understanding of anatomy and physiology with the ancient practice of hatha yoga.
The result of an obvious labor of love, the book explains hatha yoga in demystified, scientific terms while at the same time honoring its traditions. It should go a long way to helping yoga achieve the scientific recognition it deserves. Useful as both a textbook and as a reference, Anatomy of Hatha Yoga is a book that all serious yoga teachers and practitioners will want on their shelves. It will also be welcomed by sympathetic physicians-and there are more of us all the time-as well as physical therapists and other health professionals. Speaking as a doctor who had already studied anatomy in detail (though forgotten more than I’d care to admit) and as a dedicated student of yoga, I can happily report that this book heightened my understanding of both hatha yoga and anatomy and-as a nice bonus-improved my personal practice.
I realize, however, that to those who lack scientific training Anatomy of Hatha Yoga may seem daunting. Some sections use terminology and concepts that may be challenging on first reading. If you feel intimidated, my suggestion is to adopt the mentality many employ when reading the ancient and some- times difficult texts of the yoga tradition. Read with an open heart and if you get frustrated, try another part or come back to it another day. As with yoga itself, diligent students will be rewarded with an ever-greater understanding.
The origins of this book date from twenty-five years ago when I was teaching various neuroscience, microscopic anatomy, and elementary anatomy courses in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy at the University of Minnesota. At the same time I was learning about yoga in classes at the Meditation Center in Minneapolis. During those years, Swami Rama, who founded the Himalayan Institute, often lectured in Minnesota, and one of his messages was that yoga was neither exercise nor religion, but a science, and he wanted modern biomedical science to examine it in that light. One of his purposes in coming to the West was to bring this about, a purpose which is reflected by the name he selected for the institute that he founded-The Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy. The idea of connecting yoga with modern science resonated with me, and the conviction grew that I could be a part of such a quest. Soon after I communicated my interest, Swamiji called and suggested that I pay him a visit to talk about writing a book on anatomy and hatha yoga. And that is how this project began in 1976.
Apart from several false starts and near-fatal errors, I did little writing on this subject between 1976 and 1988, but still I benefited from students’ questions in courses on anatomy and hatha yoga at the University of Minnesota (Extension Division), more comprehensive courses on yoga anatomy for graduate students at the Himalayan Institute in the late 1980s, anatomy and physiology courses in the mid-1990 for the Pacific Institute for Oriental Medicine (NYC), and from 1990 to the present, teaching anatomy for students of Ohashiatsu®, a method of Oriental bodywork. These courses brought me in touch with many telling questions from students interested in various aspects of holistic medicine; without them, the seed planted by Swamiji would never have matured.
And so it went, from a working draft in the summer of 1976 to 1995, when after many gentle and not-so-gentle nudges, Swamiji insisted that my time was up, I was to finish the book, finish it now, and not run away. If I tried to escape, he avowed, he would follow me to the ends of the earth; what he would do upon finding me is better left unsaid. Happily, he saw an early but complete draft of the text a year before his passing in November of 1996.
A comprehensive statement on the anatomy and physiology of hat ha yoga ought to have been written years ago. But it hasn’t happened, and my aim is to remedy the deficiency. After considering the subject for twenty-five years, it’s clear that such a work might well interweave two themes: for the benefit of completeness, a traditional treatment of how to do yoga postures (yoga asanas) using anatomically precise terminology, and, for correlations with medical science, an objective analysis of how those postures are realized in some of the great systems of the body. In that regard, special emphasis is placed here on the musculoskeletal, nervous, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems-the musculoskeletal system because that is where all our actions are expressed, the nervous system because that is the residence of all the managerial functions of the musculoskeletal system, the respiratory system because breathing is of such paramount importance in yoga, and the cardiovascular system because inverted postures cannot be fully comprehended without understanding the dynamics of the circulation. Most of the emphasis is practical-doing experiments, learning to observe the body, and further refining actions and observations.
The discussion is intended for an audience of yoga teachers, health professionals, and anyone else who is interested in exploring some of the structural and functional aspects of hat ha yoga. The work can also serve as a guide for students of alternative medicine who would like to communicate with those who place their faith more strictly in contemporary science. To help everyone in that regard I’ve included only material that is generally accepted in modern biomedical sciences, avoiding comment on non-physical concepts such as prana, the nadis, and the chakras, none of which are presently testable in the scientific sense, and none of which have obvious parallels in turn-of-the-millennium biology.
The book begins with an introductory discussion of some basic premises that set a philosophical tone and suggest a consistent mental and physical approach to postures. Ten chapters follow, the first three fundamental to the last seven. Chapter 1 summarizes the basic principles of the anatomy and physiology of hatha yoga. Breathing is next in chapter 2 since the manner in which we breathe in hatha yoga is important for expediting movement and posture. Breathing is followed by pelvic and abdominal exercises in chapter 3 for three reasons: many of those exercises use specialized methods of breathing, they are excellent warm-ups for other postures, and the pelvis and abdomen form the foundation of the body. Standing postures will then be covered in chapter 4 because these poses are so important for beginning students, and because they provide a preview of backbending, forward bending, and twisting postures, which are covered in detail in chapters 5, 6, and 7. The headstand and shoulderstand, including a brief introduction to cardiovascular function, are included in chapters 8 and 9. Postures for relaxation and meditation are treated last in chapter 10.
It will be helpful to experiment with each posture, preferably in the order given. This approach will lead you logically through a wealth of musculoskeletal anatomy, bring the academic discourse to life, and permit you to understand the body’s architecture and work with it safely. If some of the sections on anatomy and physiology seem formidable, there is an easy solution. Turn the page. Or turn several pages. Go directly to the next section on postures, in which most of the discussion can be understood in context. Just keep in mind, however, that knowledge is power, and that to communicate effectively with laypeople who have technical questions as well as with health professionals to whom you may go for advice, it may be desirable to refer back to the more challenging sections of this book as the need arises. And those who do not find these sections particularly demanding can look to Alter’s definitive Science of Flexibility, as well as to other sources that are listed after the glossary, if they require more technical details than are provided here.
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